Store-front display window



Dec. 1, 1942.

H. E. WEST STORE FRONT DISPLAY WINDOW Filed Sept. 11, 1940 IIN AUORNY- Patented Dec. 1, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT oFricE STORE-FRONT DISPLAY WINDOW Harold Edward West, Glasgow, Scotland Application september 11, 1940, serial No. 356,317 In Great Britain August 17, 1939 7 Claims.

This invention relates to shop display windows through which goods on sale are viewed by cus; tomers.

The ordinary plate or sheet glass of which shop display windows consist has a slight greenish hue. The light in which goods behind these windows are viewed is detrimental io the appearance of goods of most kinds.

Probably the only goods viewed to advantage are themselves wholly or mainly green, and this colour is rarely chosen as a background or other display medium.

An object of this invention is to make provision whereby goods on display for sale are viewed through a. window in a light which enhances their appearance without thereby impairing to any material extent the clearness in which they are seen.

Another object of the invention is a shop display window consisting of glass lightly tinted with a hue selected to suit the goods and a density giving a total light transmission 0f at least 83% and preferably in the region of 87% to 91% depending on the hue. The term tinted is used herein as is customary to mean deliberately coloured with a hue other than the slight greenish hue of ordinary plate or sheet glass.

The preferred hues from which appropriate selections may be made are pink, amber, mauve and cerise.

Another object of the invention is the combination of a window lightly tinted as aforesaid with a window frame supporting the window and a goods support arranged behind the window.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims.

The display windows may be manufactured according to the following examples which comprise approximate percentages of colouring agents added to a standard soda-lime glass of the type represented by the following composition:

Per cent SiOz 72.3 NaOz 12.3 CaO 14.6 A1203 0.8

thicker, or thinner, the percentages may be proportionately decreased, or increased, for the same densities of hue.

It s usual to find in the manufacture of col` ored glass that the plates or sheets produced from a batch vary one from another. Therefore in practice it is desirable when carrying out any of the examples hereinbefore specified to make a stock and select therefrom plates having the characteristics requisite for display Windows according to this invention. 'I'he characteristics of glass plates to be selected are as follows, the gures given being approximations:

Example 1.-I'he maximum absorption in the visible spectrum is around the wavelength corresponding to 5000 A., the transmission at the middle of this absorption range being 87% to 88%. 'I'he maximum transmission is around 6000 being 90.5% to 91%. The total transmission for an eye of normal Visual sensitivity over the spectrum is 89 %91%.

Thus it will be seen that the total transmission is practically the same as that of uncolored plate glass.

A slightly more densely tinted glass may be selected, the transmission of which are 84% to 86% at 5000 A. and 90.0% to 90.5% at 6000 A. and the total transmission of which is 88% to 89%.

Example 2.-The maximum transmission is in the orange region around 6500 The glass is characterised by an increasing absorption towards both ends of the spectrum, the absorption in the blue being considerably greater than that towards the red. The total transmission is 87% to A slightly more densely tinted glass may be selected, the total transmission of which is 83% to 87%.

Example 3.-This glass has a predominant absorption in the yellow-green around 5500 and subsidiary absorptions which need not be precisely specified so long as they are small compared with that around 5500 A. The total transvmission of the glass is 90% to 91 A slightly more densely tinted glass may be selected, the 'total transmission of which is 89% to 90%.

Example 4.-This glass shows a number k0f absorption bands, but the predominant absorption is in the region of 6200 A. giving a pink tending towards blue. So long as the glass has this predominant absorption, subsidiary absorptions will be of little consequence. The total transmission is 90% to 91%.

A slightly more densely tinted glass may be selected, the total transmission' of which is 89% to90%.

The lightly tinted windows according to the several examples are selected to suit. goods in the manner now to be described.

Pink tinted windows according to Example 1 are selected to display miscellaneous goods where the predominant colour tone is not blue, green, brown, or grey, i. e., general groceries, pharmacists goods, patent medicines, stationery, confectionery, sweets, cakes, biscuits, art dealers goods, glass andchina, perfumery, drapery in colour harmony with pinkrlingerie, furniture, soft furnishings, books, dairy produce, and all specialised displays in colour harmony with pink.

The slightly more densely tinted windows of this hue may be selected to display meat, provisions, farm produce, fruit, flowers, cooked meats, delicatessen, pork butchers goods, bread, cakes, biscuits, and also all specialised displays in colour harmony with pink.

Amber tinted windows according to Example 2 are selected to display tobacco, cigars, smokers requisites, brown furs and fur coats, brown rugs and carpets, brown furniture, fruits in colour harmony with yellow and brown, brown boots and shoes, bakers goods such as cakes, biscuits, and bread, brown and yellow lingerie, wireless sets, leather goods, suit cases, travel ware, fawn and brown clothing and hats, and for special displays in colour harmony with yellow and brown.

The slightly more densely tinted windows of this hue may be selected to display any of the lastmentioned goods where a greater intensity of colour is desirable or brightness might be sacriiced and where the presence of illes is a nuisance, it having been found that this slightly denser amber tinted glass acts as a deterrent to iiies entering a space lighted through such a window.

Mauve tinted windows according to Example 3 are selected to display clothing, millinery and miscellaneous displays of soft goods where the colours range between blues and greys, motor cars, motor Sundries, hardware, metal displays of all kinds, aluminium, chromium plate, kperfumery in colour harmony, toilet requisites, pharmacists Sundries, tapestries and art goods in colour harmony, black boots and shoes, black leather goods, and all specialised displays in blue, black or grey or in colour harmony therewith.

The slightly more densely tinted windows of this hue may be vselected to display motor cars with black coachwork, mourning and other black clothes and hats, dark blue clothes, heavy hardware or metal displays, iron, steel and engineering goods, garden tools, and the goods already stated in respect to mauve where greater intensity of colour is desired.

Cerise tinted windows according to Example 4- are selected to display fabrics, millinery, lingerie, light drapery, light furnishings,` summer clothing, bathing dress equipment, garden furnishings, holiday outfits, sports outfitters goods, silk stockings, silk fabrics, perfumery, decorated cakes, sweets, fancy confectionery, flowers, ribbons, ladies clothing, lampshades, and all specialised displays in colour harmony with pinks and pastel shades inclining to pink.

The slightly more densely tinted windows of this hue may be selected to display ladies clothing in colour harmony, millinery, flowers, art needlework, soft furnishings, glass and china, electric fittings, lampshades, embroidery, art fabteriors.

rics, fancy boxes, cartons and packages, in colour harmony with pinks and pastel shades and applicable to the goods already stated in respect of crreisie where greater intensity of colour is des The invention is applicable to the .windows of shop fronts and also of show cases, display boxes and counters which display goods in shop in- In general the window has a frame which surrounds it and a goods support is provided behind the window so that customers view goods on said support through the window.

The accompanying drawing illustrates difierrilit applications of the invention. In the draw- Fig. 1 is a sectional perspective view of a shop front.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the top of a shop counter.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a show case.

In each of the ilgures the reference numeral 4 denotes a window or windows of lightly tinted glass, 5 denotes a frame in which the respective window is mounted, 6 denotes a support for goods on display for inspection through the respective window by customers and 1 denotes the goods, which are conventionally represented.

I claim:

1. A shop display window through which goods on sale are to be viewed and which consists of glass lightly tinted pink with a density giving a 'total light transmission of 88% to 9.1%.

2. A shop display window through which goods on sale are to be viewed and which consists of glass lightly tinted amber with a density giving a total light transmission of 87% to 90%.

3. A shop display window through which goods on sale are to be viewed and which consists of glass lightly tinted mauve with a density giving a total light transmission of 89% to 91%.

4. A shop display window for the display of any of the following goods namely general groceries, stationery, books, confectionery, glass, china, meat, fruit and flowers, such window being of plate glass lightly tinted pink by adding selenium to the constituents of the glass in a prortion giving a, total light transmission nearly 5. A shop display window for the display of any of the following goods namely tobacco, bakers goods, furs, carpets and leather goods, such window being of glass lightly tinted amber by adding sulphur and carbon to the constituents of the glass in proportions giving a total light transmission nearly 90%.

6. A shop display window for the display of any of the following goods namely hardware, metal goods and black articles, such window being of glass lightly tinted mauve by adding selenium and cobalt oxide to the constituents of the glass in proportions giving a total light transmission nearly 91%.

7. A tinted shop display window through which goods are to be viewed, consisting of glass having incorporated therein a coloring agent imparting to said glass a tint in color harmony' with the goods displayed, said tinted glass having a light transmission density, depending upon the color tint incorporated in said glass, ranging from 87% to 91%.

HAROLD EDWARD WEST. 

